This invention relates generally to textile twisting machines for twisting one or more yarns together, and more particularly to guard devices for preventing broken yarn from being wrapped about or withing rotating portions of the machine.
Twisting machines for producing a multi-strand yarn by twisting together multiple strands of yarn are well-known in the textile industry. Generally, twisting machines comprise a rotating disc connected to a hollow rotating shaft of a spindle. The disc has a radial bore in communication with the axial bore of the spindle shaft through which one or more strands of yarn are fed. A stationary carrier is rotatably mounted with respect to the shaft above the spindle disc. Yarn from a bobbin or cone disposed within the carrier is unwound, as by pulling it through an eyelet disposed above the carrier. The yarn exiting the bore of the spindle disc is also fed through the eyelet and is twisted together with the yarn from the bobbin by virtue of the rotation of the disc. Because of the rotation of the disc, the yarn exiting its bore forms a balloon about the bobbin carrier, which precludes the use of a fixed member connected to the machine frame, for example, for maintaining the carrier stationary on the end of the rotating shaft of the spindle. Accordingly, the spindles of twisting machines incorporate various mechanisms such as electromagnetic devices or a mechanical stabilization whorl to immobilize the bobbin carrier with respect to the rotating spindle shaft. Such mechanisms complicate the design of the spindle and make it expensive and time-consuming to repair or rebuild the spindle.
It is not uncommon in a twisting machine for the yarn exiting the rotating spindle disc to break. When breakage occurs, the free end of the yarn can enter the spindle and become wound about its rotating parts causing failure of the spindle and necessitating its being rebuilt. Although spindles are known which employ a guard device comprising a circular somewhat bowl-shaped deflector having an upper edge surrounding the periphery of the spindle disc for deflecting broken thread away from the rotating spindle parts, such deflectors are not entirely satisfactory in their operation, and they have other disadvantages.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide an improved spindle choke guard which prevents the free end of broken yarn from entering the spindle and which avoids other disadvantages of known guard devices. It is to this end that the present invention is directed.